The Equipment Featured on Battle Factory

Exploring how many of the innovative products featured in Battle Factory that combat troops use everyday are constructed.

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Episode 1 - Bomb Suit

The bomb protection suit is made up of 4 main pieces; the helmet, the outer shell, the soft armour and the hard armour. All of these pieces have been specially designed to take the impact of an exploding bomb and minimise harm to the bomb disposer.

The suit is made from two materials, a hard plastic and a bullet proof material that are moulded and stitched together to make a suit of armour tailored for one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

The first ever prototype of the bomb protective suit was made in the 1980s.

Episode 1 - Colt C7 Assault Rifle

The Colt C7 Assault Rifle can fire a bullet with deadly accuracy.

The riffle can fire 15 rounds per second at speeds of over 3500 km/h and has an effective range of 620 metres.

Each barrel has a unique rifling.

Episode 1 - Zodiac Hurricane

The Zodiac Hurricane can be launched off land, dropped into the water by an aircraft or pushed off the back of a boat.

The whole design of the Zodiac Hurricane makes it almost indestructible.

The inflatable rim of the boat can with withstand bullets in the pursuit and imprisoning of modern-day pirates.

Episode 1 - M252 Mortar

The M252 Mortar is lightweight portable missile launcher and is made up of 3 components; the cannon, the mount and the base plate. It can shoot 15 rounds a minute with a range of 6km.

The M252 Mortar is not only used in battle but also sometimes used to trigger avalanches.

Episode 2 - Parajet

The Parajet is made up of 3 components; the wing (parachute), the engine and the air frame which is made from light weight aluminium.

The Parajet can be easily assembled on the site of the crime scene taking 5-10 minutes to build and can take off from just-about anywhere.

It can reach an altitude of 3km and is mainly used by first responders, military operatives and drug law enforcers.

Episode 2 - CADPAT

CADPAT, which means Canadian Disruptive Pattern, is a camouflage print that is digitally designed for military use.

The design not only camouflages the soldiers but also reduces their infra red signature so they cannot be spotted by the enemy at night.

Episode 2 - Mobile Military Shelter

This mobile military shelter looks like a storage container from the outside however when the side walls drop down it turns into a fully equipped military facility. In total a mobile military shelter takes 26,000 parts to build to begin with and once finished takes up to 30 minutes to assemble on site.

Each shelter can be customised into either a military hospital, command post or science lab. They are sprayed military green and have a reduced infra red signature, making them tougher to detect.

Episode 2 - Hovercraft

The hovercraft is made up of 4 components; the cam, the propeller system, the inflatable hull and the skirt.

Hovercrafts can go over just about any terrain such as land, water, ice or sand.

Episode 3 - KA-BAR Utility Knife

The KA-BAR Utility Knife first saw action in 1942 and was intended for hand-to-hand combat. However, it was found to be much more useful in other tasks such as defusing land minds and digging out foxholes. It was also used as the bayonet on rifles and for opening ammunition containers.

Episode 3 - Aeroscraft

The Aeroscraft is a 21st century take on the zeppelin airship. The overall structure is made up of the rigid structure, the buoyancy system, aero shell and the glass cockpit.

It took 10 years and $35 million to get the dragon dream prototype finished with the overall aim being for the Aeroscaft to carry 250 tonnes, taking off and landing vertically on any terrain.

Episode 3 - AX338 Sniper Rifle

The AX338 Sniper Rifle is made up of the magazine, the barrel, the chassis and the action. It is widely known as the most accurate weapon on earth with a bullet fired from the rifle travelling at twice the speed of sound – that’s 24km in 3 seconds.

In total it takes 48 hours to make just one barrel and a hinge is added to the body, allowing it to be 25cm shorter. This makes it less conspicuous and enables the sniper to fit in and not become a target.

The chassis and the action are locked together reducing movement between the two, as any slight movements could cause a massive effect on its accuracy.

Episode 3 - Dragon Eggs

Dragon Eggs are little missiles that can be used to set a forest floor ablaze in under a minute. The weapon is made from 3 components, the launcher, the Dragon Eggs and a chemical injection system.

Dragon Eggs are 3cm in diameter - made up of 2 half plastic spheres. Each egg is filled with crystal potassium permanganate – which on its own is harmless, stable and non-combustible. However when antifreeze or glycol is ejected it causes an exothermic reaction – reaching 2200 degrees Celsius.

Launched from a gas-powered cannon the Dragon Eggs ignite 20 seconds later so that a strategic blaze of fire can be set off from a safe distance.

Episode 4 - WM Night Robot

The WM Night Robot seeks out explosives for safe detonation. It is made up of the hazard probe, the chassis and the arms.

Able to punch through walls, look for suspicious objects and carry explosives carefully beyond the safe zone the WM Night Robot can also travel over rough terrain such as deep snow and even up and down stairs.

Episode 4 - Single Person Life Raft

The Single Person Life Raft is made up of 3 components, the hull, the floor and the canopy and inflates in 7 seconds. The orange top allows it to be easily spotted from the sky while the bottom of the raft is black so that it is less visible to sharks.

While also protecting the user from freezing water conditions – its primarily used when a rescue team have been turned around by bad flying conditions making airlift impossible.

Episode 4 - Viking

The Viking is an armoured amphibious troop carrier and is used to get troops in and out of any combat zone. In total it can hold a dozen soldiers and can be doubled up to be an ambulance or weapons bay to carry mortars or tank missiles.

Its secret weapon is that it can swim.

Episode 5 - Special Operations Delta Helmet

On October 3rd 1993 a squad of US armed forces attempted to seize two Somalia enemy lieutenants when the mission went south. While under open fire, the special ops were willing to risk injury or worse rather than wearing the army issued helmets.

They said the army issued helmets blocked their vision and messed with the communication system so instead wore hockey helmets to fight, increasing the casualty rate in the attack.

The Special Operations Delta Helmet was produced to prevent this problem. A layering of Aramid makes the helmet antiballistic (or bulletproof). The fibres are so tightly woven that the projectile gets caught in the web and expends its energy trying to push through.

Episode 5 - The Zippo

The Zippo is made up of the insert, the fuel tank and the outer case. The flip case is what gives the Zippo it’s distinctive sound.

Some of the most collectable Zippos are those that have been personalised by the service men themselves - this is called Trench Art.

500 million Zippos have been made over 80 years of production and have lit up the lives of 3 generation of service men and women.

Episode 5 - The Mobile Filling Station

In war, fuel is needed to power and heat the front line and it can be a main target in battle. Therefore it is vital that a filling station can withstand a bullet.

During WWII, fuel was stored in metal containers and if a bullet hit one of the containers there was a small chance of explosion causing the rest of the fuel to go up in flames.

The Mobile Filling Station is a portable fuel tank that can hold up to 125.000 litres of fuel. This is enough to service the tanks, jeeps and helicopters that the army may use. It is made up of the fuel container and the pump.

Each Mobile Filling Station is housed in an aluminium cage to protect it and keep the machinery stable. The pump can fill a tank with 950 litres of fuel per minute – that would fill an average car within 7 seconds.

The material used to make the Mobile Filling Station is specific depending on what fuel it is storing, The shape is also not an accident. Having a low profile allows the shock waves to run into little resistance and roll right off the top of the container.

If the container is to come under fire and a puncture is made in the material it can be fixed instantly by using a temporary screw plug that stops any more fuel from escaping the station. Later on the hole can be fixed using glue.

Episode 5 - Explosion Effect Simulators

Subterranean or covered land minds and IEDs can be hard to find. They can be set off by a mobile phone or a remote control. When a land mind or IED goes off it can stun soldiers and cause them to freeze which puts them in danger.

Therefore, to prevent soldiers from danger a training ground has been set up. This enables soldiers to learn how to handle their fear and train on the ground getting used to the sound and smoke of an IED and still be able to carry on with the mission.

The Explosion Effect Simulators are made up of CO2 cartages, a remote control to set off the explosion simulators and canisters to generate smoke. These simulators can receive a radio signal from 1km away as long as there is a clear line of sight. This allows the simulator to not be seen and the practices seem more real.

Episode 6 - Ghillie Suit

A Ghillie Suit is something a sniper wears during a missions, allowing them to camouflage into the environment. Ghillie means ‘green man’ in Gaelic and was first invented by Scottish shepherds hired to protect their flock from poachers.

It is made from a living layer, the burlap and the smock. Spraying it with anti-reflective compounds and a fire retardant the sniper is less detectable by night vision and thermal imaging scopes and is confident their suit won’t combust from the rifle spark. The shoulders, arms and chest area of the Ghillie are softened with thousands of strands of burlap so the suit makes the sniper look less like a human figure.

When in the field the sniper will collect local vegetation, leaves and twigs to form a perfect match for the surrounding.

Episode 6 - CV90

The CV90 is the next best thing to a Battle Tank. However it has a few extra features making it faster and more manoeuvrable.

The CV90 was first seen in battle in 2007 and can be customised to suit whatever mission it is taken on. 50-calibre machine guns, missile launchers or a full-sized cannon can all be fitted.

Episode 6 - Grizzly Pumper Rescue Truck

The Grizzly Pumper Rescue Truck holds approximately 3700 litres of water - enough to fill a small swimming pool - and is mainly used for forest fires or when there are no hydrants near by to connect a Fire Truck to. The main components that make up the Grizzly Pumper Rescue Truck are the water tank and the pump house.

Connected to the vehicle’s main drive frame, the pump house is the heart and brains of the truck. Within the pump house there are pressure gauges and wiring that control the temperature and power of the water jets, ensuring that when the temperature drops below freezing the water will not freeze.

At the front of the truck is the power pump, which can be remote controlled and fire 4,700 litres of water per minute - 5 times the pressure of the average garden house. The power pump can be sprayed on the go, pumping out approximately 250 pounds of water pressure per square inch - 500 times that of a kitchen tap.

The seats have a built in oxygen tank so that when the fire fighter suits up he can slip straight into the oxygen supply if needed.

Episode 6 - 1911 Semi Automatic Handgun

The 1911 Semi Automatic Handgun was, as its name suggests, invented over a century ago and has been used in WWI, WWII and Vietnam. The design has changed little over the last 100 years. It is made up of is the slide and the frame.

As there are no adjustments or alterations to be made once finished the slide can be shaped to perfection so it marries up perfectly up with the body. All measurements are so exact it is equivalent to splitting hairs 30 times.